The Prophet and His Day: Isaiah 1-39 - Free Bible Commentary

that Hezekiah’s officials are asking the Assyrian representative to speak in the diplomatic language sothe people of the city could not understand the threats.36:12 This was a threat about the problems associated with a siege (i.e., shortage of food and water, cf. IIKgs. 18:27) to cause fear and panic within Jerusalem. Even though Hezekiah may trust YHWH, possiblythe citizens would not.NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 36:13-2013Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in Judean and said, "Hear the words ofthe great king, the king of Assyria. 14 Thus says the king, 'Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for hewill not be able to deliver you; 15 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORDwill surely deliver us, this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria." 16 Do notlisten to Hezekiah,' for thus says the king of Assyria, 'Make your peace with me and come out tome, and eat each of his vine and each of his fig tree and drink each of the waters of his own cistern,17until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a landof bread and vineyards. 18 Beware that Hezekiah does not mislead you, saying, "The LORD willdeliver us." Has any one of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king ofAssyria? 19 Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? Andwhen have they delivered Samaria from my hand? 20 Who among all the gods of these lands havedelivered their land from my hand, that the LORD would deliver Jerusalem from my hand?'"36:13-16 There are several IMPERATIVES and JUSSIVES used in this message from Sennacherib throughRabshakeh (threats and promises).1. hear, v. 13 – BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal IMPERATIVE2. do not let Hezekiah deceive you, v. 14 – BDB 674, KB 728, NEGATED Hiphil IMPERFECT usedin a JUSSIVE sense, cf. 37:10; this is the same VERB used in Gen. 3:13!3. nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, v. 15 – BDB 105, KB 120, Hiphil IMPERFECTused in a JUSSIVE sense4. do not listen to Hezekiah, v. 16 – BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal IMPERFECT used in a JUSSIVE sense5. make your peace with me, v. 16 – BDB 793, KB 889, Qal IMPERATIVE6. come out to me, v. 16 – BDB 422, KB 425, Qal IMPERATIVE7. eat, v. 16 – BDB 37, KB 46, Qal IMPERATIVE8. drink, v. 16 – BDB 1059, KB 1667, Qal IMPERATIVE36:17 Notice that Sennacherib’s two promises are directed to the people from the countryside who hadfled into the walled city of Jerusalem for protection. He would let them stay on their own land, but as v.17 clarifies, only for a short while. He would spare their lives, but still they would be exiled. Even ifthey surrendered at this time, they would still be taken out of the land of Judah. However, Assyria killedthe old and young on the spot!36:18 “Has anyone of the gods of the nations delivered his land from the hand of the king ofAssyria” Here is the theological challenge. The gauntlet has been thrown down and YHWH will pick itup!The VERB “deliver” (BDB 664, KB 717) is used five times in vv. 18-20. The first and last are HiphilIMPERFECTS and the other three are Hiphil PERFECTS.36:19 “the gods of Hamath and Arpad”1. Hamath was a city in central Syria whose king participated in the rebellion against Assyria andwas crushed by Sargon II in 720 B.C. and its population deported to Samaria (cf. II Kgs. 17:24).350